Hand grading-machine for leather.



' E. P. NICHOLS, HAND GRAnlNG MACHINE ro LEATHER. APPLICATION FILED DEC.2I. I9II.

l 'p'g, Patented Spt.- 10, 1918.

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ELMER P. NICHOLS, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGtNOIEt TO LACENE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, CORPORATION 0F MINE.

HAND GRDING-MACHINE FOR LEATHER.

ratentea sept. io, reis.V

Application filed December 21, 1911. Serial No. 667,174.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Emmi: P. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Manchester, in the county ofy Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement'in Hand GradingMachines for Leather, of which the following descrlption, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relate-s to the grading of leather, as explained in my Patents No. 12,288 of November 22, 1904, No. 841,809 of January 22, 1907, and No. 1,009,988 of November 28, 1911, whereby a leather piece, e. g., a sole, tap, counter, or the like is felt of by a machine so as automatically to determine the thinnest spot in the area felt of.

rihe principal object of the present invenl tion is to provide a hand tool for this automatic grading operation.- The machines of my above mentioned patents are expensive and more or less complicated, and accordingly it has been the aim of my present invention to devise means whereby practically all of this expense and complication are eliminated and the grading can be accomplished simply by holding the grading device in one hand and the leather piece in the other hand', and, thereby automatically determining the thinnest spot in the edge of the leather piece by one quick movement, or at least by manipulating the grading device by hand so that the leather piece can be brought into detected relation thereto with .practically the same speed as' in the power machines but without the complexity of operations and the large expense which necessarily attend Said power machines. To this end, in the preferred embodiment of my invention herein contained, i have provided feelers or detecting devices which receive between them the edge of the leather piece being graded, gradedndicating means at the opposite end of the tool which indicates the successive increments of thinness detected so that when the entire area has been felt of it indicates the thinnest spot therein, and gaging mechanism which transmits from the feeler mechanism to the grading-mechanism the determinations of the indicators or feelers. Also, my invention comprises manually operated means for restoring the parts instantly to position for the next piece, means for permitting the feelers to move away from each other for accommodating thicker spots met with, means for. locking the grade indicator in any of its automatic adjustments, means for maintaining uniform pressure on the stock, means for determining the extent of edge surface to be graded, etc. I believe that I am the first to have conceived and devised a hand grading tool for automatically determining the thinnest spot of a leather piece being graded, and accordingly I wish it understood that l am not limited in any wayto the mechanism herein shown as preferred nor otherwise than as expressed in the claims appended hereto, which are intended to be commensurate with the broad pioneer character of the invention.l

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation',partly broken away, showing the preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrated as a portable hand tool. l

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the upper portion thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the extreme left hand end of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a horizont-al sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 1,' looking upward.

While my main invention may. be carried out in a wide range of diEerent embodiments, I have herein chosen the simplest form, viz. a toolto be held in the hand, and for this purpose have provided the tool with a base or standard in the form of a handle 1 on which is supported a sufficient housing or hollow casing 2 to contain those working parts which should be protected. rEhe housing, as shown in Fig. l, is approximately triangular in shape when viewed in side elevation, and at its forward lower corner is provided with a detector or feeler, which may have a wide variety of forms, but preferably consists of a roll 3 mounted at the outturned extremity of an arm 4 which, as herein shown, is an integral portion of the housing or casing 2. Cperating with this feeler 1s an opposite feeler or detector 5 which, for convenience, is also shown as a roll and is likewise mounted at the outturned extremity of an arm 6 similar to the arm 4 and preferably formed integrally with a movable member 7 which constitutes a portion 0f the gaging mechanism. rlhis member 7 is preferably pivoted on the member 2, being shown as mounted between. the upturned sides 8 of the latter and provided with a depending body portion 9 pivoted at 10 between said sides 8. The member 7 -extends thence rearwardly and preferably upwardly in a rear leg or arm 11 provided at its extreme rear end with an indicator l2 whose pointed end travels over a scale 13 marked in irons and half-irons for indicating the thinness-measurements of the leather piece, said parts 12 and 13 constituting the grade indicating means. The casing 2 has a slot 14 extending vertically in its rear Wall above the handle 1 for the end 12 to travel up and down in. Secured to this movable member 7, and preferably pivoted thereto at 15 in line with the scale 13, is a portion of the gaging mechanism, shown as a bar 16 having relatively fine notches 17 in its rear edge engaged by a detent 18, preferably mounted to slide on the bottom of the casing and held in locking engagement with the bar 16 by a spring 19 secured at one end to a post 20 on said detent and at its other end t0 any suitable relatively stationary part, as to a pivot pin 21. A stop 22 is preferably provided for limiting the forward movement of the detent 18, which is provided with a slot 23 for said stop', another slot 24 being provided for the bar 16. Thus, as the feelers 3, 5, when in engagement respectively with the opposite sides of a leather piece, are permitted to move toward each other upon reaching a thin spot of the leather, the end 12 of the movable member 7 thereupon swings upward, carrying with it the bar 16, which clicks by the detent, and is 'held by the latter against any movement in an opposite'direction. When a still thinner spot in the leather piece is met with, the bar 16 is similarly moved upwardly the corresponding increment required and similarly clicks by the detent, which holds or retains this added increment of thinness-measurement. successive increment of thinness felt of in the leather piece, and each -increment of thinness-measurement is held or saved by the detent 18, ythe result being that when the leather piece has been entirely felt of along its edges, the bar 16 and detent 18'have cooperated in holding the indicator 12 at exactly that iron-mark on the scale 13 which indicates the thinnest Spot measured in the leather piece, to which the latter should be subsequently evened. As the feelers 3, 5 must necessarily move away from each other when a thicker spot of the leather piece is reached, I provide means for preventing the transmission of this movement to the gradeindicating end of the apparatus, and while said means maybe provided`in a large varietyof ways, I have herein indicated a simple embodiment thereof, by breaking the rear leg or arm 11 into two parts pivoted This process is repeated with eachl together at 25 by a knuckle joint which permits free downward pivotal movement, Fig. l, but prevents relative upward movement, said two parts of the arm or leg being normally held in proper alinement by a spring 26 secured at its opposite ends respectively to depending lugs 27, 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Thus, when a thick spot in the leather piece comes between the rolls 3 and 5, the latter can readily rise, notwithstanding that the rear end 12 of its leg or arm 11 is positively heldby the bar 16 against moyeinent, inasmuch as the pivot 25 and spring 26 readily yield to permit such movement,

and, when the thick spot in the leather piece i is passed, they immediately restore said leg or arm 11 to its original measure-transmitting relation or condition. The body 9 of the movable member 7 is provided with a rearward extension or finger 29 normally Apressed upward by a spring 30l which conthis rearward extension or finger 29 is a tri 31 turning on the pivot pin 21 and provi ed with atrigger-like end 32 projecting through a slot 33 in the casing in position to be engaged by the forefinger of the hand holding the handle 1'.- rlhus, 4when a piece has been measured and the 'grade thereof noted as indicated 'by the grade-indicating mechanism, the operator can simply pull on the trigger 32, which engages the adjacent end of the detent 18 and instantly releases said detent from the teeth 17 of the bar 16 while the trip 3l depresses the linger l29, thereby swinging the movable member 7 on its pivot 10 so as to lower the indicator 12 and raise thefeeler 5 into position for receiving the next leather piece to be graded. An adjustable gage 34 is preferably provided for determining the edge position of the leather piece with relation tothe feelers, and, for convenience, said gage is shown as an L-shaped plate vadjustably secured by a clamping screw 35passing through a slot 36 in the adjacent leg of the gage. To prevent improper movement of the gage bar 16 and maintain the grade indicator 12 in iindisturbed position indicating the thinnest spot determined in a given length of travel maratea with a'tendeney to engage/the bar 16 with a locking grip, said bar being preferably provided With teeth 41 With which said lever may interlock. The spring 40 is shown as mounted at one end on a stationary pin 42 and at its other end on a pin 43 projecting from said lever. When the feelers or thickness detectors 3, 5 are measuring a leather piece, the operator normally holds his thumb against the lever 39 so as to maintain the latter out of engagement with the teeth 41 of the bar 16, and, if he wishes to measure only a portion of the length of a sole, for instance, he releases said lever so as to permit the spring 40 to engage said lever with the notches 41 tolock the bar 16 upon arriving at the point desired in the length of the sole. rthis prevents the measuring and grade-indicating of said sole beyond said point, z'. e., after the lever has been so locked or set. Similarly, he employs the lever 39 for locking the bar 16 when he is about to removethe sole after its thinnest spot has been determined by the rest of the mechanism. By this means there is no danger of the grade indicator 12 changing its position after removal of the stock and it will remain -thus locked until positively .tripped by the operator.

In practical operation, the operator holds the grading tool or apparatus in his right hand, with histhumb against the lever 39 and his forefinger bent around the trigger 32. Let it be. supposed that he is grading soles., He takes a sole in his left hand and inserts its edge between the rolls 3, 5 as movement. The same movement which sepl arates the rolls or feelers 3, 5 releases the detent 18 from the teeth 17, and as soon as the leather piece is between the rolls and the operator has released the trigger 32, the spring 19 instantly restores the detent to 0perative engagement for the measuring operation. 'lhe operator then quickly moves and swings the sole with his left hand along between the rolls 3, 5 throughout that portion ofits edge which it is customary to measure in the grading operation, or throughout such shorter or other portion as special requirements of the case call for. As the sole moves along, the feeler rolls 3, 5 respond instantly to all variations of thickness in the leather, moving toward each other for the successively thinner spots, and away from each other for theintervening thick spots. As they move toward each other for thin spots, each additional increment of said movement is taken up and preserved by the pawl and ratchet mechanism 17, 18, but as they move away from each other, this is permitted by the broken arm arrangement and spring 26 without influencing the grade indicating. -When the stock has been measured, the operator releases his thumb'from the lever end 39 and thereby locks and preserves the grade indicating device in the position which it has thus automatically been brought to. If the sole is to be stamped with the grade found, it is then handed to the stamping operator, who stamps it in accordance with the iron pointed out on' the scale 13 by the indicator 12. Ordinarily, however, the diilerent soles will be classified by being thrown into different bins or pigeon-holes corresponding to the various irons. "The operator then takes up the nekt sole with his left hand and, with his right hand, operates the levers 32 and 37 so as to position the tool properly for receiving said sole, and whisks said sole around between the rollers with the same operations as before.

lt has been my object not merely to devise a hand tool or apparatus, but one capable of high speed of operation and not liable to get out of order, while at the same time uniting in itself the qualities of accuracy and simplicity.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the kind described, lcomprising a movable and visual grade indicator, a coperating partl containing grade ma rkslwith relation to which said indicator moves for visually indicating to the operator the grade of the leather piece,'detecting means for engaging the stock and detecting the various thin spots along the edge thereof, connecting means for adjusting the grader indicator to indicate the thinnest of the plurality of thin spots detected by said detecting means, and locking mechanism, including a part connected directly to said movable indicator, and coperating with the aforesaid mechanism to lock said grade indicator in its said adjustment in both direc! tions when a desired length of said edgedetection has been accomplished according to the will of the operator.

2. A machine of the kind described, comprising a movable and visual grade indicator, a coperating part containing grade marks with relation to which said indicator moves for visually indicating to the operator the grade of the leather piece, detecting means for engaging the stock and detecting the various thin spots along the edge thereof, connecting means for adjusting the grade indicator to indicate the thinnest of the plurality of thin spots detected by said detecting means, and manually controlled mechanism, for positively holding said grade indicator in its said adjustment at the will of the operator irrespective of the detecting movement thereafter of said detecting means in engagement with the stock.

3. A machine of the kind described, comprising grade indicating mechanism including a. movable indicator to indicate the grade of an uneven piece of died-out leather, detecting mechanism including a movable feeler and its operating lever for feeling of the leather piece lover an edge length thereof such in extent as may be desired and detecting the thinnest spot in said length, transmitting mechanism for transmitting'to the grade indicating mechanism the successive increments of thinness measurements-thus detected, said movable indicator being attached to said lever and feeler and means for automatically holding said indicating mechanism for each of said successive increments so that said indicating mechanism will indicate the thinnest spot felt of, all the said aforesaid mechanism being embodied in a handtool hand operated ini connection With the leather piece being graded, and means for positively locking said grade-indicating mechanism at any one of its plurality of measurement indications -and rendering the samev inoperative for further indications during further movement of the hand tool along the edge of a died-out piece of leather.

4:. A machine of the kind described, comprising grade indicating mechanism to indicate the grade of an uneven piece of diedf out leather, detecting mechanism for feeling of theleather piece over such length thereof l as the operator may determine and detecting the thinnest spot in said length, transmitting mechanism for transmitting to the grade indicating mechanism the successive increments of thinness measurements thus detected While permitting' the detecting mechanism to pass intervening thicker parts Without affecting the indicator, -means for automatically holding each of said successive increments so that saidv indica-ting mechanism Will indicate the thinnest spot felt of, and a manual control for said holding means.

5. A machine of the kind described, comprising grade vindicating mechanism to in-l dicate the grade of an uneven piece of diedlout leather, detecting mechanism for feeling of the leather piece over alength thereof and detecting. the thinnest spot in said length, transmitting mechanism for transmitting to the grade indicating mechanism the successive increments of measurements thus detected, means in said transmission mechanism whereby said detecting mechanism `may. be enabled to pass over intervening thicker portions without affecting the indicator mechanism, means for automatically holding each of said suc? cessive increments so that said indicating mechanism Will indicate the thinnest spot nennen feltA of, including spring actuated locking means for locking said automatic holding means, and manually controlled means for releasing said holding means.

6. A machine of the kind described, comprising grade indicating mechanism to indicate the grade of an uneven piece of diedout leather, detecting mechanism for feeling ofthe'leather piece over a lengthA thereof' tecting. mechanism may be ena-bled to pass over intervening thicker portions Without affecting the indicator mechanism, means for automatically holding each of said successive increments so that said indicating mechanism will indicate the thinnest spot felt of, including spring actuated locking means for locking said holding means against movement in one direction only, and an independentmanual trip therefor. 7 A machine of the kind'described, comprising grade indicating mechanism to indicate the grade of an uneven piece of died- -out leather, detecting mechanism for feeling of the leather piece over such length thereof as the operator may determine When doing the Work and detecting the thinnest spot in said length, transmitting mechanism for transmitting to the grade indicating mechanism the successive increments of thinness measurements thus detected, means for automatically holding each of said successive increments so that said indicating 4mech-anism will indicate the thinnest spot felt of, and coperating -mechanism for locking said holding means against movement in either direction, and manually operable parts for unlocking the same.

84. A machine of the kind described, comprising grade indicating mechanism to indicate the grade of an uneven piece of diedout leather, detecting mechanism -for feeling of the leather piece over such length thereof as the operator may determine When doing the Work and detecting the thinnest spot in said length, transmitting mechanism for prising 'a portable frame having a handle'J adapting the machine to be carried and manipulated by one hand, feeler mechanism naveaa mounted in said frame adapted to be engaged with a died piece of leather for detecting the thinnest spot therein over whlch the feeler mechanism is moved, and including short parallel arms extending laterally from the end of said frame which is opposite the handle and substantially at a right angle to'said frame in position to embrace the edge of the leather piece and to extend lengthwise in contact with the leather in a direction inwardly from the edge of the latter when the frame is held along said edge and is pushed or pulled lengthwise parallel to said edge, grade indicating means responsive to the feeler mechanism, and connections .for transmitting the detections of the feeler mechanism lto the indicating 4means, all mounted in said frame.

10. A machine of the kind described, comprising a portable frame having a handle adapting the machine to be carried and manipulated by. one hand, feeler mechanism mounted in said Aframe adapted to be engaged with a died piece of leather for detecting the thinnest spot therein over which the eeler mechanism is moved, said eeler mechanism having pivoted jaw-like members projecting' in positionto receive between them the edge of a leather piece held in the other hand and to travel on the body of said piece at the opposite sides thereof adjacent said edge as the operator imparts to the machine and leather piece a relative movement lengthwise of the edge of the leather piece, grade indicating means responsive to the feeler mechanism, including a movable indicator carried by the swinging jaw-like member, a detent actuated by said latter member, and devices cooperating with said detent, one of said devices locking the detent against movement in one direction and permitting movement in an opposite direction, and the other of said devices locking the detent against movement in the last mentioned direction, all mounted in said frame.

11. In a machine of the kind described, feeler mechanism, comprising opposite del tecting portions pivoted to have a relative 'shear-like swing and adapted to receive between them a leather piece to be graded, grade indicating means, connections between said feeler mechanism and grade indicating means for setting the latter in accordance with the thinnest spot detected in the leather piece, means having a predetermined stepby-step movement in`one direction only for holding the said indicating means thus set, and manual means for positively positioning said indicating means and also said detecting portions to receive the leather piece.

12. In a machine of the kind described, feeler mechanism comprising opposite detecting portions adapted to receive between them a leather piece to be graded, grade indicating means, means permanently connecting said feeler mechanism and grade indicating means for setting the latter in accordance with the thinnest spot detected in the leather piece, said connecting means being capable of positively moving said indicating means in opposite direct1ons, means for holding the said indicating means thus set, manual means for positioning said detecting portions to receive the leather piece, and means for automatically maintaining pressure on the leather piece.

13. In a machine of the kind described, feeler mechanism, comprising opposite detecting portions adapted to receive between them a leather piece to be graded, grade indicatin'g means, connections between said feeler mechanism and grade vindicating means for setting the latter in accordance with the thinnest spot detected in the leather piece, means for holding the said indicating means thus set, manual means for positioning said detecting portions to receive the leather piece, and stop-means for limiting said detecting portions to an engagement with the leather piece to a predetermined distance from the edge of the latter.

14. In a machine of the kind described, feeler mechanism movable in accordance with the unevennesses ot a leather piece, indicating mechanism for indicating the thinnest portion of all of said unevennesses of the leather piece, all the aforesaid mechanism being operable solely by the engagement of the leather piece with the feeler mechanism, and connections between the feeler mechanism and the indicating mechanism containing means for transmitting to the latter all the successive increments of thinness detected but permitting the feeler mechanism to respond to thicker measurements without influencing the indicating mechanism, said feeler mechanism including a pair of relatively separable rolls having horizontal axes approximately at right angles to the rest of the machine and projecting in position to receive the edge of the leather piece between them and roll along the top and bottom sides of the leather piece parallel to said edge as the machine is pushed or pulled relatively to the leather piece lengthwise of said edge.

l5. In a machine of the kind described, relatively separable grade detectors, grade indicating means, and connecting means from the former to the latter, yincluding a two-part lever yielding freely intermediate its ends in the direction of separating movement of said grade detectors but compelling its opposite ends to move in unison when moving iny accordance with the closing movement of said detectors.

16. In a machine of the kind described, relatively separable grade detectors, grade indicating means, and connecting means vfrom the former to the latter, including a.

lever composed of two pivotally connected parts normally held in one position but capable of yielding in one direction from said normal position and incapable of yielding in an opposite direction from said normal position for permitting J.the lever to bend freely in response to the separating movement of said detectors without iniuencing thel indicating means but compellingthe lever to transmit to the indicating means all movement of said detectors toward each Y other when the lever is in said normal posiwith said lever to permit free closing movement of said detectors andl corresponding grade indications and to prevent grade indications in anooposite direction.

18. In a machine of the described, a. hollow frame having adjacent one. end a 4relatively stationarv detector, a lever-pivotally mounted in said frame and provided at one end with a detector` in position to coperate with said relatively stationary detector, means actuated by the opposite end of said lever -for indicating the grade of a leather piece as determined by said detectors,

' a ratchet and detent mechanism mounted within said frame and connected with said lever for permitting free movement of the lever in the closing direction of said detectors and preventing such movement of the lever 1n an opposite direction, as shall operate said indicating means, and a trigger-like device for unlocking said detent and opening said detectors.

19. In a machine of the kind described, a hollow frame having adjacent one end a .relatively stationary detector, a lever pivotally mounted 1n said frame and provided at one end with a detector in position to co,

operate with said relatively stationary detector, means actuated by the opposite end of said lever for indicating the grade of a leather piece as determined by said detectors, a ratchet and detent mechanism mounted within said frame and connected with said lever for permitting free movement of the lever in the closing direction of said detectors and Preventing operation of the lever 1n an opposite direction to actuate the gradeindicating means, and a spring normally tending to close said detectors.

20. In a machine of the kind described, a hollow frame having adjacent one end a relatively stationary detector, a lever pivotally mounted in 4said frame and provided at one endwith a detector in position to coperate with said relatively stationary detector, means actuated by the opposite end of said lever for indicating'the grade of a leather piece as determined bv said detectors, a ratchet and detent mechanismmounted within said frame and connected with said lever for permitting free movement of the lever in the closing direction of said detectors and preventing movement of the lever in an opposite direction capable of actuating thev grade indicatin means,and an externally operable latch or locking said* ratchet at the will of the operator.

21. In a device for grading died-out leather pieces in accord with the thickness of a thinnest portion, in combination, detector means, visual indicator means responsive to movement of said detector means, to indicate variations of thickness, means between said indicator and said detector means,

whereby the indicator means is enabled to' respond to successive increments .of thinness in the article being graded, but may be held against movement .in response tol intervening thicker portions, and a lock to lock said indicator means in its most advanced lposition for visual observation, after the completion of each gradingact. 22. In a grading device, in combination, a oair of detectors, a scale and indicator connected with said detectors,'a means oetween the detectors and the indicator whereby increment of movement of the detectors inone direction only is transmitted to the indicator and a lock'movable to hold said .indicator in a. minimum-indicating position for observation after completion of the grading act.

In testlmony whereof, I have signed myname to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. ELMER P. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

JAMES R. Homann, EDWARD MAXWELL. 

